Rahm finishes runner-up at PGA Championship; Smith top 10 in return to major competitive form

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – The week did not end as hoped for Jon Rahm, who sought to become the first Spaniard to claim the 27-pound Wanamaker Trophy that goes to the PGA Championship winner. But the consolation prize was fairly significant – a runner-up finish and some much-appreciated signs of encouragement in his quest to acquire more major championship hardware.

Rahm’s 2-under 68 on Sunday at Aronimink Golf Club left him tied for second at 6 under, three shots behind Englishman Aaron Rai, who shot a closing 65 – and played his last 10 holes in 6 under – to finish at 9 under for the week on a difficult course set-up.

For Rahm, it’s his best result in a major since winning the 2023 Masters, and the 16th top-10 finish in his 38 career major starts. It also reconfirms his major prowess after finishing T34 at last year’s Open Championship and T38 at last month’s Masters.

“As far as I’m concerned, to be in the mix again and hit it as good as I did and perform as well as I did this weekend, it’s been a great week,” said the Legion XIII captain, who has been LIV Golf’s top performer since joining the league prior to the 2024 season, winning two season-long Individual Championships and leading the points this season. “Can’t really ask too much more of myself.”

Rahm wasn’t the only LIV Golf player who reasserted himself as a major contender.

Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith posted his best major result in his last nine starts with a tie for 7th at 4 under. Not only is it Smith’s best finish in 11 career PGA Championship starts, it also ended a string of six consecutive missed cuts in majors dating back to 2024. Smith’s change in swing coaches two weeks ago to Claude Harmon III has paid quick dividends.

“It feels great to play nice,” said Smith, who shot a 2-under 68 Sunday, suffering just one late bogey after playing the front nine in 3 under. “You don't work hard to play crap, and it's frustrating, and the last couple of years have been frustrating. I feel like I've been putting in the work and not really getting anything out of it.

“I made a swing coach switch a couple weeks ago now to Claude, and we've just managed to clean up a few things that were perhaps a little bit off, and I feel like I've got a lot more confidence in my swing.

“Even out there today, under the pressure I felt like I was able to trust it already. So, lots of positive signs.”

Meanwhile, rising Fireballs GC star David Puig posted his best finish in his six career major starts with a tie for 18th. He also moved up to 58th in the world ranking, which earned him an exemption into next month’s U.S. Open. He played the final 36 holes with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and held up well, shooting 71-70 to Scheffler’s 71-69.

“Definitely learned a lot playing with him and just having all the fun around him, fans screaming on every hole and stuff like that,” Puig said. “Definitely helped me a lot in my future and in a way to progress.”

Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann joined Puig in the tie for 18th after making some early noise with birdies in his first two holes. It’s Niemann’s second consecutive top-20 finish at the PGA and the third of his major career.

Rahm spent much of the day hovering around the top of the leaderboard. He opened with two birdies to tie for the lead but gave those strokes back with bogeys at the third and seventh holes.

Still, after a birdie at the par-5 ninth, he made the turn just one stroke off the lead held at that point by Germany’s Matti Schmid. Rahm followed with a terrific 352-yard tee shot at the 10th and seemed to have his tee-to-green play dialed in, but his putter turned cold as he made six consecutive pars.

“Wish I'd have done better with the speed of the greens,” Rahm said. “Just couldn't seem to get it to the hole, and that's the reason why I didn't hole any more putts.”

Meanwhile, Rai had heated up and eventually put the finishing touches on his win by rolling in a birdie putt from 68 feet at the par-3 17th. Rahm, who was a hole behind and in the process of birdieing the par-5 16th, heard the cheers and knew the outcome had been sealed.

“What Aaron did today, catching him could have been very difficult,” Rahm said. “I don't know if it could happen, but I would have liked a better chance playing the last two holes. I feel like I was still close playing 16 until he made that long putt.”

Last month after the Masters, Rahm said he was going to adjust some things in his preparation for majors but did not reveal specifics. Asked if those adjustments came into play this week, he replied succinctly: “Yes.”

He still wasn’t ready to reveal them, although he described the adjustments as “small, little details that, unless you're within, you're not really going to understand. It's hard to explain.”

No doubt, however, improvement was made. Rahm will go into next month’s U.S. Open and The Open Championship in July with high spirits and expectations. As he showed this week, he’s not far away from a third major victory.

“The margin, even though it's three shots, it can be so small, honestly,” he said. “I feel like I'm playing really good golf and definitely played good enough this week to give myself a chance to win. So, keep doing what I've been doing well.”